Everybody hates wasps, but what if they were the secret to our survival? Wasps are feared for being able to sting multiple times and many people believe they provide no environmental service. Yet in the future, our food security could rely on them. As we begin to see the decline of bees, wasps are the new pollinating heroes. Specifically in the tropical regions, wasps pollinate over 1 000 different fig species. These trees in turn give life to an array of insects, birds, and mammals, all of which contribute to sustaining the ecosystem in their own way. We explore the impact wasps have in nature and learn more about this misunderstood insect.
Up Next in Season 1
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Cows
Over five million stray cows walk the streets of India. This creates health risks, not just for the animals, but for the people who deeply cherish them. Hindu communities in this region believe that cows are sacred and seek to protect them. But extreme poverty means that not all families can affo...
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Ravens
Are ravens bad omens, or are these birds simply misunderstood? Depends on who you ask. Because they scavenge and feed on carrion, they’re often linked to death. Yet the common raven is associated with life in many Native American cultures. According to the Tlingit people, long ago when the land w...
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Cicadas
Cicadas just might be our next food source. These insects are famous for their raucous mating call, which can be heard by females up to 1.6 kilometres away, beckoning them to produce the next generation. In 2021, trillions of these bugs swarmed across the USA, the largest brood of periodical cica...
